Since Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide , Tenzing Norgay , first conquered Mount Everest in 1953 , thousands of trekkers have tried to follow their footsteps .

According to the Nepalese Ministry of Culture , Tourism and Civil Aviation , more than 3,500 have successfully climbed the 8,848-meter -LRB- 29,029-foot -RRB- mountain , the world 's highest . More than a tenth of that number scaled the summit last year alone .

But with the mountaineers ' lofty dreams come a price : a trail of trash that now threatens the peak 's environment .

A group of 15 artists in Nepal are turning that trash into art . Under a project called `` Mt. Everest 8848 Art Project I '' created last year , they have collected 1.5 tons of garbage brought down by climbers from the mountain , including remains of a helicopter that had crashed into the slopes during the 1970s .

`` With this collaboration we aimed to raise awareness about pollution at Everest , '' explained Kripa Rana Shahi , director of Da Mind Tree , the organization that initiated the project .

Working tediously for a month , the artists transformed oxygen cylinders , cans , glass bottles and discarded trekking tools into 74 pieces of art and held their first of many exhibitions for interested buyers in November 2012 .

Geographer reaches Mount Everest summit amidst tragedy

`` Many of the artworks reflect mountain life and mountaineering experiences , '' says artist Sushma Shakya . `` It was interesting what we came up with , and how this trash could turn into something beautiful . ''

`` The visitors are amazed by the artwork , and we 've received encouraging feedback . We hope our creations will help inspire actions against pollution at the Everest , '' Nara Bahadur BK , another artist , said .

The exhibitions have attracted more than 3,800 visitors , with the pieces priced from $ 17 to $ 2,400 .

Nineteen pieces have been sold so far , and part of the proceeds will be given to Everest Summiteers Association , which has collaborated with the project . The association was the first to initiate a cleanup trip to Mt. Everest in 2005 and has continued its efforts to make the mountain pollution free .

`` Each expedition to Everest is required to take a garbage deposit and bring their waste back , '' Diwas Pokhrel , the group 's general secretary , said . `` But this system has not been strictly implemented . ''

In last two years , the association has collected over 10 tons of garbage from the Everest , but it estimates that another 10 tons are still littering the slopes .

According to the association , biodegradable garbage is separated from the collection and turned into compost at Namche Bazaar , the major stop point before the base camp . But much of the garbage comprises non-degradable items such as oxygen cylinders , tin cans , and plastic and glass bottles . These are airlifted to Nepal 's capital , Kathmandu .

Turning trash into art is one way of managing waste . Da Mind Tree says it will continue working on similar projects . `` We hope our creative works of art will inspire and encourage people to keep the mountains clean , '' Shahi said .

Is Mount Everest like a ` morgue ' ?

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A group of 15 artists in Nepal turn trash collected from Mount Everest into art

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The project aims to raise awareness about pollution at Everest

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1.5 tons of garbage have been turned into 74 pieces of artwork

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The pieces are on sale , priced from $ 17 to $ 2,400